NEWS of the PAST WEEK

Elder Curgenven, Elder Hawley, new AP Elder Hatch,

Departing AP Elder Katseanes, Sister Hawley, Elder Potts 

at Sister Hawley's desk.

Monday we had made plans to train again and help with the transfers on 1 Dec 2010.  When we arrived at about 8:45 a.m. the president called us into his office.   He told us, frankly, that "it has been a disaster" here since you left the office."  So we we have been missed, and more importantly, our efforts these past months have been helpful, needful, efficient and effective.  The mission president has changed his mind and wishes to assign a couple coming in January to serve in the mission office. They have been generally assigned to serve in proselyting / reactivation, but, in a true answer to our months-long prayers, expressed their desire that they would feel more comfortable serving in an office setting instead of "in the field."  The mission president will speak to them in detail and pass on to them the spreadsheet of living costs for couples that Sister Hawley compiled for the Missionary Department this past February.

Sister Susan and Elder Curtis Empey, from Ogden, Utah

One of the young elders who was to replace Sister Hawley, has been reassigned, and a new replacement office elder came in on Wednesday -- Elder Schow from Pleasant Grove, Utah.  So Sister Hawley had only three days to train him, and that is what she did this past Thursday, Friday and Saturday.  He has been excited to be in the office and has been energetic and enthusiastic in trying to learn all the material in such a short time.  Elder Hawley spent the days reinforcing training items with Elder Curgenven, and in answering questions as issues came across the Financial Secretary's desk.  Our traveling and sight-seeing days came to an immediate halt.

Elder Curgenven, Sister and Elder Hawley, Elder Schow

The new couple, if they accept the call, will arrive in mid January.  They are the Empey's from Ogden, Utah.  So we are to contact them and try to do some training in Utah during December and before they enter the MTC in January.  We will continue to be given access to the iMOS system online and can access it from home, which will be a great help in training the new couple.  Sister Hawley and I have downloaded several key files from the mission which we can also use to train with.  It is planned that if they have questions they can call us from London and we can help train and answer questions over the telephone.  My, have things changed fast!

The missionaries call being released "dying."  If so, we feel that the Lord knows the thoughts and feelings and desires of our hearts and minds, . . . , touring England is a wonderful treat, but we have felt a bit "set adrift," and we want to serve right up to the time we go home; . . . so because of this change [which indeed is a great blessing], we will now continue to work until the last day, so that we may "die . . . with our boots on."

Front Entrance, Huntsmore House, South Kensington/Chelsea, London, UK

We also moved out of our flat on Wednesday, had it professionally cleaned and the curtains and heavy draperies dry-cleaned (at the tune of 280 BPS--British Pound Sterling--or about $420).  On Friday afternoon we did the final check-out with the Inventory agency who checked every thing down to the knives and forks to see if everything was there, clean, and in its original place.  This should allow us to get our 2,700 BPS or about $4000 deposit back in another two weeks. Yes, London is a pricey place to be.

Exhibition Road, South Kensington:  The Mission President's flat is the white building 
to the far right of the photograph, on the other side of the street construction.  
The flat is owned by the Church, and is located next to the Hyde Park Building

Hyde Park Building, Home to 3 wards, the England London Mission Office,

LDS Employment, Centre for Young Adults, and the Family History Centre

Friday we went to President and Sister Patch's flat for our departing dinner and testimony meeting with President and Sister Patch. Sister Linda Field, a Senior Sister Missionary who has served as Music Director for Hyde Park, is going home on December 17th, and she was also there.  We had a fine meal and quietly shared sweet testimonies about the mission and our service.  The president did give all of us a ride to our flats, which was wonderful as the night was cold and windy, so we did not have to walk the 20 minutes and wait for the bus and ride the 20 minute bus ride to our new accommodations in THINK Hotel.

Elder and Sister Hawley, Sister Field, Sister and President Patch

On Saturday we were greeted at the office with a good-bye cake, which we had fun sharing.  The APs and office elders wanted to take lots of pictures with us.  We will miss the young missionaries -- they set such a wonderful, faithful, hardworking, faithful examples for us, and we enjoy their company and are humbled by their service.  Sister Hawley was given as a gift a necklace from Elder Jesse Dredge [whose extended family we know well], with the England London Mission logo on a gold chain.  And she gave Elder Hawley a matching set of ELM cufflinks and tie pin.

ELM Logo Tie Pin

Elder Jesse Dredge, from Utah

These are fun momentos.  

Sister Michelle Nogueira gave us each a framed plaque to say thank you.

Sister Michele Nogueira, from Brazil

We've received hugs and fun phone calls, photos, emails, and thank you notes from the missionaries.  Many times we have been told, "The office/mission won't be the same without you," or, "We are really going to miss you!"  We will go home with hearts filled with love for the missionaries, for the opportunity to serve the Lord by serving some of His children, and we are so grateful that we made the decision to plan for and to serve a couples mission together.  

Cutting the Cake

New AP Elder Leonard Trey Sikahema, Elder and Sister Hawley, AP Elder Keaton Hatch

One of our favorite missionaries, newly departed AP Elder Mason Zemp

Sunday was Fast Sunday and we bore our testimonies and bid the ward goodbye.  We did our best to be supportive and do the jobs we were called to do. We feel very good about our service in the England London Mission. Tonight we are thinking about home and family.  In about 36 hours we will be flying out of Heathrow Airport.  The Assistants to the President will pick us up just before 8 a.m. and they will get us there in time for a 10:40 a.m. flight through Dallas-FortWorth and on to arrive in Salt Lake at about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday evening.

GOING HOME:  #5 Da Vinci Place

The mission service has changed us.  We love the Savior even more and have been raised to a new spiritual awareness and peace.  Praise be the Name of our Lord and Savior!  To Him we owe everything.  He has walked with us to help us and comfort and lead us during our time here.  We want to try and keep that sense of the Savior always with us in our future activities. Jesus is the Christ.  The Gospel is true.  The Restoration of the truth did come in the latter-days through the prophet Joseph Smith.  We look forward to the coming of the Savior at the end of this world, when all wickedness will be swept away and the Lord will reign. Christmas is a wonderful time to dwell on Jesus Christ, His birth, life, atonement and death.  We are humbled by and so greatful for our many, many blessings.

Love to all.

Elder and Sister Hawley

Last Day in the ELM Office = 4 December 2010